Stewardship

Finding a church is one of the best things you can do when you're putting down roots somewhere new. Here are four I'd point you to in the East Valley, but there are many other great churches in our community:

Sun Valley Community Church
Multi-site church with campuses across the Valley, including Gilbert and Queen Creek. Their mission is simple: helping people meet, know, and follow Jesus. Welcoming atmosphere, strong kids programming, and a great place to plug in, no matter where you're starting from.

Rock Point Church
Based in Queen Creek, Rock Point is a non-denominational church built around the idea of real people living real life together. They're known for genuine community and a passion for pointing people to Jesus through authentic relationships.

Christ Church
With locations in Gilbert, Peoria, and Central Phoenix, Christ Church is centered on unashamed worship, expository preaching, and making disciples. If you're looking for a church serious about the Word and serious about community, this is worth a visit.

Antioch Phoenix
Located in Chandler, Antioch PHX is a mission-driven church with a heart for discipleship, prayer, and seeing lives transformed. Part of the Antioch International Movement, they emphasize life-on-life community through small groups called Lifegroups.

One thing I would encourage, no matter what church you find yourself at, is to not just attend… but to serve and to give.

Church isn’t just a place you go. It’s a community you’re part of and a movement you help build. Getting involved is what turns it into home and what helps strengthen the community around you.

I’ve known Grant for over 15 years now… since high school, really.

We met through friends, but pretty quickly, he became more than that. He stepped into my life as a small group leader at church, and early on, he was one of the first people I felt like I could actually go to with real questions. Finances, relationships, direction in life… all the stuff you’re trying to figure out when you’re young and don’t really know what you’re doing.

And honestly, that hasn’t changed much.

Even through the military years, he stayed consistent. Whenever I was back in town, we’d grab coffee. No agenda, just time. He’d ask thoughtful questions, actually listen, and then speak honestly into whatever I was navigating. What stands out most now is that he didn’t rush to give answers. He asked more than he spoke. At the time, I probably didn’t realize how important that was, but looking back, that posture shaped the way I learned to think and process things.

For a long time, I’ve described Stewardship as the “Disneyland of finances.” That’s how it felt to me. It was this place where finances weren’t just numbers, they were something you could actually understand and grow in. So when I started thinking about life after the Army, it wasn’t a hard decision. I knew I wanted to help people, and I had already seen what that looked like through Grant.

In 2022, Sarah and I were already settled in Arizona and confident we were building our life here. That’s when I joined Stewardship as their first real estate agent. By that point, Grant and his wife, Jodie had already walked with us through premarital counseling, and even since then, they’ve continued to be a steady presence in our marriage, and now as we step into parenting.

If I had to put into words what I’ve learned from Grant over the years, it would come down to a few things.

Life isn’t about me. I need a Savior, and I’m here to serve people.
Growth requires adaptation. You don’t get to avoid that part.
And maybe most of all, consistency matters more than people realize.

That last one has stuck with me the most.

If my life were the only evidence of Grant’s consistency, it would still be enough to pay attention. Over 15 years, I’ve watched small, steady decisions add up in quiet but powerful ways, not just in his life, but in mine because of him.

These photos really just capture a snapshot of that.

Same relationship. Same investment.

Just the long-term impact of showing up, over and over again.

- Nate